Dear Christian friends:

Last Sunday was our Loyalty Sunday, and many of you made your pledges (commitments) for 1981. Some of you are bringing your commitment cards today, because you wanted more time to think about your commitment.

As you know, it is easy to write a promise on the card; it is much harder to keep the promise and do it.

Our text shows that. Here Paul prays for the church in Thessalonica. Paul thanked God for this church because of their strong faith and love, and he prayed that God would help them keep their promises.

I like Paul's prayer. It is a good prayer also for me to pray for you. So let us attend to this prayer.


When Paul prayed for the church at Thessalonica he thanked God for these Christians. He wished them love and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (verse 2) Then Paul thanked God for them, because their faith was growing wonderfully and their love for each other was increasing. (verse 3)

Their faith and love had grown so much that Paul boasted about them to all the other churches. They were a good example to the other churches. But notice! Paul does not thank them, but he thanks God. God made their faith and love grow, God through His word and the working of the Holy Spirit had made their faith and love grow so wonderfully! Without the Holy Spirit working through God's Word they cannot believe or love or grow in Faith and Love.

Therefore, I your Pastor, thank God for you, because He has also made your faith and love grow. Last Sunday many of you showed your faith and love because you accepted the commitment cards and you made your pledges for 1981. That shows much faith and love. Three years ago you began making pledges. Before you never did that, but now you have accepted to do that. That shows that your faith and love is growing. And during the past two years, since you accepted to make the pledges our offerings have increased 100%! Praise God!

Also by your good attendance at the church services you show that your faith and love is growing. Our church during 1979 had the best church attendance of any Lutheran Church of the Deaf in our Mission! Also this year you gave over $600 to the World Relief and Hunger through the Love Loaves. And during the past two weeks we let the Indo-Chinese Refugee Assistance Program (IRAP) meet in our hall, which of course will mean extra utility bills for our congregation to pay. But you have gladly accepted to do that because you want to help some of the many homeless people find a home. You know there are over 16 million refugees in temporary camps in various places in the world, who have no home, or job. You are helping them. Praise God!

Three weeks ago when I went to Dr. Halm's installation I met Rev. Kenneth Behnken who is assistant to President Kuntz for missions in our District. I told Rev. Behnken about how you have grown in your faith and love and good works. Rev. Behnken was very excited and happy to hear that.

So today, I your Pastor, thank God for you, because He has made your faith and love grow!

And, like Paul, I ask God to help you keep your promises for the new year. Paul remembered the Christians in his church when he said his prayers to God. Paul asked God to help them and keep their pledges, what they had made to God. (verse 11) This will help their faith and love continue growing.

We, who have written our promise, our resolution for 1981, to God, now must not rest. We need God's help and power to keep the promise and do it.

We have made a decision and promise to serve our God during 1981 in worshipping Him: Bible Study, Prayer, Daily Devotions, Weekly Worship, Regular Attendance at the Lord's Supper. Also we have pledged to use our talents in various ways: Choir, Usher, Office Helper, Officer of one of the organizations, Visitor to the Sick, Visitor to Prospects, Serve Dinners and others. And we have pledged a percentage of our income to support the Lord's work through P.L.C. during 1981. This is a little bit like a New Year's resolution. You know how easy it is to make a New Year's resolution, but then we quickly forget and fail to keep it.

That can happen also to our commitment (promise) that we made last Sunday or today. If we try to keep it by ourselves alone we will fail. But if we ask God to help us keep it, we will succeed! We need God's power, God's Holy Spirit, living and ruling in our hearts. That's why Paul here in our text prays for the church at Thessalonica.

So also, I, your pastor pray for each one of you. I thank God for you, because He has given you strong faith and love in Jesus Christ.

I ask God to help you continue in that faith and love so that you can keep and do all that you have promised to do.

Then our church will be successful and God will receive glory and honor. In our text Paul says that he prays for the members of the church to give glory to the name of the Lord Jesus. (verse 12) Jesus receives glory when we in faith and love serve our God and our Savior. Also we ourselves receive glory with Jesus, Paul adds.

Therefore, I, like Paul, pray for you and thank God for you. Also you should pray for yourselves each day. You will have problems and troubles during 1981. Inflation will continue. Other deaf or perhaps hearing friends or relatives will tell you that you are foolish to make a promise to your church. You will feel tempted to break your promise and live and do like the unbelievers. That's why you and I need God's help to keep our faith and love alive and growing. So pray for yourself and I will pray for you, too.

God bless you and help you to keep your promises.

Amen.